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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. row — a line
  3. mate — a partner
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. hand — in cards
  7. march — music
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. march — the month
  10. scale — in music
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mark — a grade
  13. scale — size or range
  14. row — to paddle
  15. march — the month
  16. mate — to breed
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mate — a friend
  24. hand — help

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com